Revealing Truths
by Teena M
Summary: (sequel to Hidden Truths) PG for yaoi and innuendo.... Okay, Ashy-boy, spit it out. Time to tell your friends the unvarnished truth. Be happy, you people who wanted him to tell Brock and Misty. Here it is. Shishi, fluffy, things like that.


  
TeenMisty: Oi, minna~a! Amazement of amazements, I've written another  
Pokemon fic! Another Shishi. This is the sequel to 'Hidden Truths', and   
apparently the second fic in a trilogy. Blame the muse.  
  
Mew: /I just give you the ideas, I don't control them./  
  
TeenMisty: Yeah, yeah. Anyway, this is what happens when Ash lets his   
friends in on his little secret.  
  
  
Revealing Truths  
  
  
After the sun had gone down, Ash and Gary just sat by the lake for a few  
minutes, enjoying the night air and just being together. Eventually, Gary  
nudged Ash.  
  
"C'mon, we'd better get going before somebody starts to wonder where we've  
gotten to."  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Gary..."  
  
"What is it, Ash?"  
  
"I'm gonna tell them tonight. Right away. If I wait, I might lose my nerve.  
Come with me? Y'know, moral support and stuff."  
  
"I'm not sure that'd work out well. How about I come with you and wait in  
the hall until you tell them. If they react well, I can come in, and if   
they react badly, you can come out."  
  
Ash grinned. "By the time they react, I'll have already come out."  
  
"Cute, Ash. You know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Okay, you can wait in the hall while I go through the most   
difficult challenge of my life alone."  
  
"You're getting melodramatic, Satoshi. You're also trying to make me feel  
guilty."  
  
"Is it working?" Ash asked hopefully.  
  
"No. Now come on, it's gonna be a pain getting back to town in the dark,  
anyway. Let's go."  
  
Ash nodded and got up, then helped Gary to his feet. The two held hands  
and started picking their way through the trees back to town. Ash tripped  
a couple of times, but Gary managed to keep him from falling.  
  
"You're such a klutz, Sato-kun. Watch where you're going."  
  
"I'm trying," Ash protested. "You've just got better night vision than me.  
I can't see the roots and stuff."  
  
Gary sighed. "Maybe we should just slow down."  
  
"We're already going pretty slow. Let's just hurry up and get out of the  
trees. I'm looking on the bright side. There isn't enough to this little  
forest to get lost in."  
  
Gary laughed. "You can get lost in a backyard, Sato-kun. You've always  
had a tendency to go in circles. Luckily, I don't have that problem. See,  
there's the lights of the town now." Gary pointed to a collection of bright  
areas through the brush. Ash grinned.  
  
"My hero!" Ash threw his arms around the other boy and batted his eyelashes  
at him. Gary chuckled and pried him off gently.  
  
"You're being silly, and you're stalling. C'mon, aren't you hungry? We can  
grab a snack before going to your hotel."  
  
"You know I'm always hungry, Geru-kun! Let's go!" Ash grabbed Gary's hand  
and started running toward the town, dragging the other boy behind him.  
Gary sighed and sped up, coming up even with Ash.  
  
"You're gonna trip again, and at this speed, you're gonna fall."  
  
"Nah, I'll be fine. I trip less when I'm running, don't know why. Now   
hurry up, I'm starved!"  
  
"You're always starved," Gary retorted, laughing. He didn't slow down,   
though, and the two boys made it to the town quickly. They wandered a bit   
on the way to the hotel, and found a place to eat. Ash stuffed himself,   
while Gary ate a more normal amount, watching Ash with amazement.  
  
"I've been watching you eat for years, and I STILL don't know where you   
put it all," Gary said, shaking his head. "Why don't you get fat?"  
  
"I run around a lot, got tons of energy," Ash replied between mouthfuls.   
"I burn a lot of calories. SOME of us don't have cars to get us from Gym   
to Gym."  
  
"What is it with you and the car? Anyway, you almost done?"  
  
"Yeah," Ash replied, scooping up the last of his dessert. "Guess we should  
get going now."  
  
"Guess we should," Gary said, standing up. Ash sighed and got up, too, and  
they headed over to the hotel. Gary followed Ash to the room the other boy  
was staying in with his friends, then stopped outside the door.   
  
"Well, here we are," Ash commented nervously. Gary nodded.  
  
"Go on and tell them. If they can't take it, you can come with me after   
the tournament. If they can, maybe I'll get rid of the girls and come with  
you."  
  
"Win-win situation, huh?" Ash asked, grinning slightly.  
  
"I guess so," Gary replied, before leaning over to kiss Ash gently. "Good  
luck."  
  
"Thanks," Ash said, then gave Gary one last smile before turning the knob  
and walking into the room. "Guys, I'm back!"  
  
"Pikapi!"   
  
That was the only warning Ash got before Pikachu jumped on him. He caught  
the little Pokemon, managing to keep his balance, and laughed.  
  
"I'm happy to see you, too, Pikachu! Just don't knock me over, okay?"  
  
"Pika. Chu pika ka? Chaaaaaa!"  
  
"Sor-" Ash began, but he was rudely interrupted.  
  
"Ash Ketchum, where were you?! I can't believe you just ran off like that,  
what about us?!"  
  
"Sorry, Misty, I would've been back sooner, but we stopped to get something  
to eat."  
  
"We? Who were you with, Ash?" Brock asked curiously. "Is that why you ran  
off like that?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty much," Ash replied nervously. "Look, guys, there's something  
I have to tell you, and it's really important."  
  
"It better be!" Misty snapped, arms crossed and glaring at him.  
  
"Well, it's like this... There's something I've been keeping from you. It  
isn't something recent, either. I've been keeping this secret since before   
I ever even met you guys."  
  
"What is it, Ash?" Brock asked gently, seeing that Ash was having a hard  
time telling them this.  
  
"Well... I'm with someone. In love."  
  
"What's wrong with that? Who is she?" Misty asked, smiling.  
  
"That's what's wrong... It's not a she," Ash replied, wincing. Misty's  
jaw dropped, as did Pikachu's. Brock gave him a curious look, but didn't  
say anything.  
  
"You're in love with a guy?!" Misty shouted.  
  
"Ummm... Yeah," Ash replied weakly. Misty collapsed onto a bed, looking  
shocked. Brock walked over to Ash.  
  
"So, who is it? Anyone we know?"  
  
"You could say that..." Ash turned around and peeked out the door. "NOW  
will you come in? C'mon, I told them most of it, just not who!"  
  
Gary sighed, shaking his head, but opened the door the rest of the way  
and walked in. "You have no tact, you know that?"  
  
"GARY OAK?!" Misty and Brock shouted in unison. Pikachu blinked, then  
shrugged.  
  
"Pipichu... Pika..."  
  
"Well... You've always been the smooth talker, not me," Ash told Gary  
defensively. Gary sighed.  
  
"True, but after all these years, you'd think some of it would've rubbed   
off."  
  
"I thought you hated him!" Misty yelled, breaking into their conversation.  
Brock nodded.  
  
"You've always acted like enemies," he added. Gary and Ash exchanged looks,  
then turned to face Ash's friends.   
  
"People are supposed to think we hate each other. That's why we act like   
we do. If everyone believes we're enemies, they'll never suspect that we're  
together," Gary replied.  
  
"See, back home, we were best friends, but our families started worrying  
about how much time we spent together," Ash continued. "So we talked it  
over, and decided to start acting like we hated each other when we started  
our Pokemon journeys."  
  
Gary nodded. "Everyone bought it, because me and Ash have always been  
really competitive people. It just didn't seem that odd that we'd start  
competing with each other over something as big as being Pokemon Master."  
  
"But didn't it bother anyone just how fast and far you two fell out?"   
Brock asked.  
  
"Well, yeah, my Mom's asked about it once or twice. I think that it's   
mostly she's upset I lost my best friend, though," Ash replied. "She's   
mentioned hoping we make it up."  
  
"You never told me that. Y'know, Gramps has said that sort of thing, too.  
He's also always talking about how we could get further if we shared info  
and experience."  
  
"Sounds to me like your families are trying to get you to be friends again,"  
Misty remarked.   
  
Brock nodded. "That's what it sounds like to me, too. You know, if your  
families really love you, they'll love you for who you are, no matter what."  
  
Gary and Ash exchanged nervous looks.   
  
"I'm not sure I like where this is going," Gary commented. Ash nodded.   
Both boys were watching Misty and Brock suspiciously. The other two looked  
at each other, nodded, then spoke in unison.  
  
"Tell them."  
  
"NO WAY!" Ash yelled. "Geez, our public relationship for over a year has  
been a way to KEEP from telling them!"  
  
"Yeah, and it's really made your life easier," Misty replied sarcastically.  
Ash and Gary both winced. Pikachu laughed, and climbed up onto Ash's head,  
then bonked his forehead lightly.  
  
"Pikachu! What was that for?"  
  
"Chu pika pikachu."  
  
"Oh, great. Now even my Pokemon insults me," Ash said dejectedly. Gary  
blinked.  
  
"What was that all about?"  
  
"Pikachu called me an idiot."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"That's easy. Because he is. And so are you," Misty said, smirking.  
  
"Excuse me?! I'm no idiot, I'm the number one trainer from Pallet, and-"  
Gary broke off as he realized everyone was staring at him, and blushed.  
"Sorry. Old habits die hard."  
  
Ash laughed. "No kidding. I've still got bad habits from years ago."  
  
"I know," Gary said, frowning. "I've seen most of them."  
  
Ash stuck his tongue out and plopped down on a bed. After taking Pikachu  
off his head, of course. He settled Pikachu on his stomach and wrinkled  
his face up, thinking. Gary sat down next to Ash, then prodded him gently.  
  
"Don't strain your brain, Sato-kun. What's up?"  
  
Ash grinned at him, then looked over at Misty and Brock without sitting  
up. "You guys really think we should tell our families?"  
  
They both nodded. Ash looked back at Gary. "Well? Opinion?"  
  
"Like I said, old habits die hard. We've been hiding for a long time,"  
Gary replied uncertainly.  
  
"Maybe too long," Ash said, frowning. "When boasting and arguing is an  
actual habit, it might be best to stop."  
  
"Good point..." Gary replied. "...Okay. I'm tired of hiding. If they   
can't accept us, at least we'll still be together."  
  
Misty clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "That's so romantic!  
It's so incredibly Romeo and Juliet!"  
  
"Uh... Didn't Romeo and Juliet die?" Brock asked. Ash and Gary flinched.  
  
"Well...yeah, but that's not the point! It's just so sweet!" Misty gushed.  
  
Ash, Gary, Brock, and Pikachu all sighed, sweatdropping. Ash shook his   
head and decided to change the subject. "Is it okay if Gary stays here  
tonight?"  
  
Misty and Brock grinned. Brock tilted his head. "I'm not sure that's a  
good idea. Can we trust you two in a bedroom together?" Brock asked   
teasingly. Ash and Gary blushed and Gary quickly slipped off the bed.  
Ash grabbed him and pulled him back onto it.  
  
"Nobody said you had to move," Ash said, giving Gary the Evil Eye. Gary  
sighed and settled in next to Ash again, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Kawaii!" Misty exclaimed, clapping her hands. Brock gave her an odd look.  
  
"You know, Misty, I'm surprised you're taking this so well. I always   
thought you and Ash-"  
  
"Me and ASH?! Ewwww!" Misty yelled. "Brock, he's like my kid brother! I  
like older guys. Guys with sophistication."  
  
Ash snickered. "Watch it, Brock, she'll be after you next."  
  
"I said guys with SOPHISTICATION, not guys that drool over anything in a  
skirt," Misty snapped.  
  
Ash and Gary laughed as Brock turned deep red and shot Misty a dirty  
look. Ash took his cap, jacket and shoes off, tossing them onto the bedside   
table. He shooed Pikachu off his stomach and squirmed under the covers.  
  
"Look, I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired. I want some sleep. I'm  
guessing Gary can stay, since you teased me instead of saying no. We'll  
share this bed, and you guys can sleep in yours."  
  
"Not only same bedroom, but same BED. Hear that, Brock?" Misty said with  
a wicked grin. Brock grinned back.  
  
"I sure did. Looks like our little boy is growing up."  
  
"Shut up, Brock," Ash retorted sleepily, snuggling into the covers. Gary  
smiled at him and kicked his boots off, climbing under the blankets next  
to the other boy.  
  
"Somebody turn the lights off," Gary said as he got comfortable. Pikachu  
walked up and settled herself firmly between the two boys. Gary gave her  
a dirty look, but made no protest as the little Pokemon's cheeks began   
to spark.  
  
Brock fought back a laugh, watching the self-appointed chaperone. He   
turned off the overhead, then kicked off his shoes and settled into his  
own bed. Misty did the same, then reached out to turn off the lamp. The  
room was plunged into darkness, and silence reigned. Almost.  
  
"Like I'd do anything with you guys in the same room, anyway."  
  
  
~owari~  
  
  
TeenMisty: *grins* Isn't Pikachu cute when she's being protective?  
  
Pikachu: *little hearts* Pikaaa!  
  
TeenMisty: Mine is male...  
  
Mew: /But isn't that Ash's Pikachu?/  
  
TeenMisty: Yeah, but it's the male version. *shrugs* Hey, I can't explain  
it. 


End file.
